


Swinging the Lamp

by dracox_serdriel



Series: Her Dark Works [15]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Fights, Gun Violence, Land Without Magic, Magic Compass, Serious Injuries, Strangers, The Jolly Roger, Violence, Walks In The Woods
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-05
Updated: 2016-02-08
Packaged: 2018-05-18 08:24:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5913355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dracox_serdriel/pseuds/dracox_serdriel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The passengers of the Jolly Roger split up in search of their lost family members in a Land without Magic.</p><p><strong>Her Dark Works</strong> takes place in an alternate universe where Emma Swan was born and raised in the Enchanted Forest. One day, things go horribly wrong, and she abandons her birthright and throne to seek revenge on the Dark One. What happens when a woman born to be the Savior of the Realm joins forces with the Vengeful Pirate of Neverland?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Windward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The passengers of the Jolly Roger split into two groups to search for their loved ones. Anita and Roger aid Red and Robin in Kansas, while Senior, Emma, and Killian search Maine.

Through his spyglass, Killian watched nearby ships pass. He was never one to criticize another captain's vessel, but he found the seafaring crafts of this realm unpleasant to the eye. Where had shipmasters gone wrong in this realm?

He collapsed his spyglass and tucked it into his vest as he reflected on the events of the past week.

Emma told Anita and Roger everything that had transpired during their rescue mission. The couple were aghast and disheartened by Dot's - or rather, Dorothy's - betrayal. Roger denied the news at first, asking why they should trust four strangers over the woman who saved their lives, but his resistance vanished when they watched the encounter themselves in the Magic Mirror.

_"Why send us to 101 Fashions?" Red asked._

_"Anita and Roger... when I set up their security, I added my own surveillance," Dorothy replied. "We know that there is a fifth member to your party, for example."_

_"And the two men to attacked you?" Killian asked._

_"I did that to draw you in," Dorothy replied._

_"Yeah, but why?" Red asked. "You were already spying on us telling Anita and Roger everything."_

_"Not everything," Killian said. "She and her cohorts haven't found where we've been staying, have you, lass? So she makes it appear as if we're beset with the same enemy, forcing us to trust her and share our secrets."_

_"It doesn't matter," Dorothy said, all but confirming Killian's suspicions. "Cruella knows you're from the Enchanted Forest, and she's obsessed with that place. She won't stop until she gets what she wants. She only leaves Roger and Anita alone because I've convinced her that they are critical to our operation. Without them, she would waste time on people from realms that don't interest her."_

_"What does she want?" Senior asked. "She never said."_

_"A long time ago, something of hers was taken and trapped in the Enchanted Forest," Dorothy replied. "Something that she's willing to do anything for. Don't doubt that."_

_"That's it?" Killian asked. "You allied yourself with a villain without knowing what she's after?"_

_"Zelena is far more terrible than Cruella," Dorothy replied._

Roger clung to his wife as they watched it over and over again, looking for any sign that this was all some kind of misunderstanding. But there was none. Dorothy had lied to them and used them.

Once they accepted that, they insisted on doing whatever they could to help the passengers of the Jolly Roger. Eventually the Radcliffs decided to travel with Red and Robin, as neither knew how to drive.

The four laid out a simple plan. They required a supply run, but soon after, they'd disembark along the coast of Virginia, a land to the south. Then they'd rent a vehicle for transport under a false identity and proceed to drive west to the land of Kansas. Once Mulan and the children were found, Anita and Roger would travel to their hide away in the northern kingdom of Canada by way of aircraft.

Apparently false names and varied modes of travel were all necessary precautions in this realm, as people could be tracked electronically and digitally. Whatever the bloody hell that meant.

Anita explained that surveillance devices of all kinds could be found nearly everywhere in this particular kingdom. Sometimes shop owners installed them for security while government officials maintained others. This was how any purchases or sales they made could be tracked.

Roger also warned them that the trade of finding people who don't want to be found was quite popular: federal, state, and local law enforcement investigators; associated consultants, bounty hunters, and private investigators; lawyers, criminals, and concerned family members. Bribes and threats were common place. Killian stop listening when the man started speaking of 'hackers,' which surely was a misnomer of some kind.

He disliked the notion that anyone looking hard enough could track him and those he wanted to protect.

Nevertheless, he received the Radcliff's message: in this realm, hiding was not a matter of disappearing. So long as people sought them out, the best they could do was remain a few steps ahead of their would-be finders.

Killian didn't understand the technology, though Emma seemed to take to it well. She and Anita had a long discussion about it, and they hashed out a number of details that he accepted without question. He lived as a pirate long enough to know how to lie, cheat, and steal as well as intimidate, bribe, and deal. But his tactic had always been to make a name for himself, not to run and hide.

Not long after, Senior ferried Red, Robin, Anita, and Roger to the Virginia shore. He then turned his focus to finding the Emma's family and, begrudgingly, the Evil Queen for Senior's sake. 

As Emma's dreams weren't particularly revealing, she did as Anita suggested and called about the poaching charges filed against her parents. They learned relatively little other than the general location of the offenses, so Emma set up a map to mark where the "incidents" occurred. They were all in central part of Maine.

So, less than a day after Robin and Red departed with the Radcliffs, Killian sailed the Jolly Roger back to the coast of Maine, travelling a bit farther north.

For the past six days, Senior and Emma had meditated in hopes for gaining more insight from the Hart of Longing, but they failed to discover anything helpful. Senior had a dream about Regina passing a sign that said "A Storybook Hometown," but he couldn't see the town's name. Emma saw her parents teaching her son how to dance in a rustic cabin, but there was no indication of the dwelling's location.

On and on it went for six days. A sliver of insight leading them nowhere. Killian refused to disembark until they had a smaller area to search than hundreds of square miles of forest, and for once, both Senior and Emma agreed.

Killian and Emma had developed a kind of a ritual. 

Each morning, Sidney woke them and reported Red and Robin's status, which was the same every day since they reached Kansas: no sign of Mulan, the children, or Cruella's minions. Emma had taken to recording her dreams in as much detail as she could recall, so he'd go to the bridge so that she had the cabin to herself for about an hour. She'd join him afterward to discuss how they'd find her parents, and not long after, they'd reach the conclusion that they simply didn't have enough to go on yet. 

His musings were interrupted by a dry cough.

He turned to find Emma and Senior, who usually didn't join them until later in the day.

"I take it there's news?" Killian asked.

"My daughter is dead," Senior replied, his voice cracking.

Killian looked down at Senior's hand, which held the Magic Compass.

 _Bloody hell, why didn't I think of that before?_ he thought.

Senior held the compass steady, but the needle never stopped moving. When he handed it to Emma, the needled pointed northwest after just a few seconds.

"You take it to mean that your daughter has died?" Killian asked.

"What else could it be?" Senior asked.

"Not three days ago, you spoke of some manner of cloaking charm, did you not?" the pirate replied. "Surely the Magic Compass would fall under its purview." 

"My mother's Concealment Charm," Emma added. "She used it to hide from the Evil Queen... I mean, Regina. All you need is to place one drop of blood on it, and it hides you from magical detection."

"That doesn't explain why the compass works for your family but not for mine," Senior said.

"May I?" Killian asked.

She relinquished the compass to Killian, and he held it in the palm of his hand. He focused on his brother and for a moment, the thing he wanted most was to find Captain Liam Jones. The needle flew around in circles until it came to a full stop, pointing back at him. He moved, and the needle followed.

"Poetic," he commented. "When you try to find someone deceased, the compass points to your heart."

"Who... who did you think of?" Senior asked.

"My brother Liam," he replied. He handed the compass back to Emma. "So there you have it. Your daughter isn't dead, she simply cannot be found."

"So why is it telling me to go northwest?" Emma asked.

"Perhaps your father or your son have yet to use the charm," Senior suggested.

"If we find them, they'll know something of Regina's whereabouts, will they not?" Killian asked.

"Perhaps," Senior said quietly.

"Well then, if you'll mind the ship, mate, I believe we now have enough to find Miss Swan's family," Killian said.

* * *

Emma crashed into her sleeping bag that night, tired and aching from the hike. By her estimate, they had only made it a few miles into the woods, but now they had something to follow, a sure direction. 

She didn't delude herself into thinking this would be easy. If Robin and Red's search was any indication, magic would only get her to the general vicinity.

Still, she was excited and apprehensive. She pictured herself locking eyes with Henry, over and over again, the word "Mom!" falling from his lips before he ran to her for an enormous hug. It always ended the same: her son looked up at her and asked, "Where's Dad?"

She swallowed hard. It might not be the first thing Henry asked her, but as soon as he saw her, he'd assume his father wasn't too far behind. How was she supposed to tell him that his father died for the sins of his grandfather?

Her hatred for Rumpel doubled. She thought his death would allow her some peace, but instead she was enraged. Rumpel had spent so long desperately trying to find Neal, spreading darkness, pain, and hatred while never calculating the costs. And how did that end? He was dead and gone, far from the misery he inflicted on his own family, not a care in world. He had somehow turned her vengeance against her, leaving her nothing but his mess to clean up and his sins to disclose.

"You all right, love?" Killian asked.

She jumped. She hadn't realized he'd come into the tent.

"I was just thinking."

"Your musings are clearly distressing you, love. Care to share your burdens?"

"I was trying to figure out how to tell Henry about Neal," she replied. "He'll probably assume he's with me. I mean, with us, and it's not just that Neal died, but..."

"But that he was murdered as revenge on the Crocodile," he said, completing her thought. "Swan, all that matters is the truth. Your boy will know his father died trying to save him and that he didn't die alone."

"I just... Neal died over two and a half years ago," she said. "I've had time to grieve, but Henry doesn't know yet. I don't want him to think I moved on, like I never cared about his father."

"Would your boy really think that?" he asked as he settled into his own sleeping bag.

She turned on her side to face him, wary of the direction of this conversation. He reached out and tucked a few stray hairs behind her ear.

"You can tell me anything, Swan."

"We fought a lot," she replied. "Not about anything important, but... being Savior of the Realm means choosing between an anniversary dinner and saving an entire village. I let him down on stuff like that all the time, and every time, he'd be disappointed and angry. And then I'd be pissed at him for being angry at me as if was my choice. Like I just didn't feel like turning up for whatever we had planned, like I didn't hate seeing his disappointed-but-resigned face."

"I'm sure he knew," Killian said. "If he knew you at all, Swan, if he knew your heart, he must've realized those weren't choices for you."

"We fought about it a lot," she said. "We tried to avoid doing it around Henry, but when he was six... let's just say, we fought more than we spoke for a few months. At one point, Henry started telling these long, nonsensical stories at every meal so we wouldn't have to eat in fuming silence."

"He's a perceptive and resourceful lad."

"Yeah," she replied. "He'd talk through the whole meal, and one night he didn't eat a bite. His food got cold, and we realized what was going on. We made a pact not to fight in front of him anymore, but the months leading up to the Evil Queen attacking, they were tough. We knew something was going on with Neal's father, but we didn't know what. We broke that rule. A lot. I'd make any excuse I could to avoid Neal, and when we did see each other... the last few months Henry was with us, we were always fighting. And the first thing he'll see once I find him is that I've moved on."

"Neal has been dead for almost three years," Killian said. "Your son will understand, Swan."

"He shouldn't have to understand, he's not even thirteen yet," she replied.

His fingers stroked her cheek gently for a moment. Then he asked, "Would it make things easier on your boy - on you - if you weren't in a relationship with me?"

Her eyes went wide at the suggestion. "Killian, that's not what I meant, I - "

"I know," he interrupted. "I was merely suggesting that we keep our relationship a secret until the time is right."

"I'd never pull that off," she replied. "I can't lie, Killian, not to him. And even if I could, my parents would figure it out, and my mom can't keep a secret."

"While I am loath to suggest it," Killian said. "I would be willing to endure a pause in our relationship for the sake of your rest, love."

"A pause?" she asked. "Are you breaking up with me?"

"New realm, new prospects," he said with a brazen smile.

She punched him hard in the shoulder, and he mocked the pain of an injury, rubbing his hand over the 'wound' with his eyes wide, enormous and impossibly blue.

"Don't think I haven't noticed that you haven't slept well this past week," he said. "If this is keeping you up at night, then put your mind at ease."

"Losing you is no solution."

He gave her a small, sad smile and said, "Swan, who the devil said anything about losing me?"

"So we'll just introduce you as the dashing pirate captain who came with me to a Land without Magic knowing he couldn't return home?" she asked.

"Introduce me as a man who owes his life to you," he replied. "It's certainly true. I think you'll find that I can be quite the gentleman."

"I can't ask you to do that," she replied. 

"Aye, love, but you didn't ask, I offered," he said. "Being apart is not the same thing as losing one another."

She choked up for a moment as tears burned in her eyes. She asked, "How do you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Be around me, let alone with me," she replied. "After what I did to you at the Dark Castle."

"How do you mean?"

"I mean how I treated you," she replied. "Killian, please don't make me say any of it out loud..."

"You mean treating me like a servant and a plaything?" he asked casually. "Perhaps you've forgotten, but I was a willing participant in all of that."

"Were you?"

"Aye."

"Or were you just afraid I'd skin you alive?" she asked.

"Refresh my memory," he said. "When was I afraid?" 

"I'm asking because I don't know," she replied.

"No, love, you're asking because you feel guilty," he said. "You can tell when someone is lying, Emma. I've no doubt you could see through any attempts I made to conceal my emotional state. So tell me, when was I frightened?"

"I... I can't always tell," she said. "It takes effort. I wasn't paying attention because I didn't care."

"Perhaps," he said. "Or perhaps you've done things you wish you hadn't and that hurts. That's the cost of a good heart, love. Other than the dagger, I didn't hide anything from you. I didn't acquiesce to your wishes because I feared for my life. I wanted to do it."

"You weren't afraid?"

"Save for the one time," he replied. "When you discovered I'd lied to you about the dagger."

"Killian, I'm sorry, I - "

He kissed her, cutting her off while pulling her into an awkward, but not unpleasant, embrace.

"You need not apologize," he whispered into her ear. "I've seen the true horror of the Dark One, and not just the bloody Crocodile, but the one before him as well. Both of them went mad with power, destroyed lives, killed innocent people. You never did, and I'm not the only one that thinks so."

"What?"

"The Apprentice, he told me the Darkness hadn't stained you," he replied. "Not like it had with the other Dark Ones. That is why you can live free that curse now, Swan."

"That's just because we're in a Land without Magic."

"How long did the Crocodile try and fail to come here?" he asked. "Yet you succeeded."

"None of that changes what I've done."

Killian studied her face as her tears began to fall. Her insides moved uncomfortably under his careful scrutiny.

"This is my fault," he said.

"That's not - how? How is this your fault?"

"I was the one who pushed you to keep going," he replied. "I came to the Dark Castle when you'd barricaded yourself inside. I kicked down those walls and pledged myself to your side. I hid the dagger from you. I asked you, 'Isn't your family worth a little darkness?'"

"You were... you wanted to help me."

"I was being selfish," he said. "You'd sacrificed yourself. I should've been the next Dark One. Who would've missed me if I'd taken the dagger and stabbed myself with it? Not a soul."

"I'd miss you."

"Aye, love, but you and you alone," he said. "I felt guilty, so I went to you and pushed you out into the world, completely forgetting the most important thing."

"What's that?"

"You aren't like me," he replied. "I've done terrible things. Some I regret. Some I can't bring myself to care about. That touch of darkness haunts me, but it doesn't hurt me. Not like you. You feel this way right now because I was selfish, Emma. I wanted to be with you, and I'd do anything to save you, even let your heart go dark for the sake of it, and I gave no consideration to what that would do to you. None. You ask me how I can be with you, but it is I who should be asking you that question."

She came close to him, encroaching on his sleeping bag, and put her hands on either side of his head. She wanted to make sure he was looking at her when she spoke next.

He began, "Emma - "

"Killian, please," she interrupted. "Let me speak."

He opened his mouth, as if to protest, but then he sealed his lips and clenched his jaw. His hands covered hers, and his eyes became soft and his expression, resigned.

"You saved me," she said, her voice cracking slightly. "Before I became the Dark One. You showed me I could still feel something. After I lost Neal and couldn't get to Henry, I never thought I'd feel anything. You gave me hope, Killian. You didn't give up on me. And after losing your entire crew, after scaling all the walls I put up, after fighting me just to remind me that I had a reason to live, after leaving your home with no way to return... after all that, you're willing to take a break on us just so I can sleep. I don't deserve you."

"No, love, I don't deserve you," he said.

Their foreheads came together for a few moments before she kissed him, cupping his cheek as they broke apart.

"There's no need to decide tonight, Swan," he said. "Sleep. We start at first light."


	2. Entitled

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma and Killian hike through the woods of Maine, guided by the Magic Compass.

Killian slept fitfully that night. He regretted suggesting the break the moment he said it out loud, but if it would ease her mind enough for her to get a good night's sleep, it was worth it.

What bothered him most wasn't the idea of taking a break from their relationship; after everything they'd lived through, there was no doubt in his mind that she would return to him one way or another. The woman who refused to abandon Cora in the Underworld surely wouldn't desert her pirate captain in a Land without Magic. 

No, what bothered him was that her reservations came entirely from fear. She was afraid that a break from their relationship would mean an end to their intimacy. The look on her face made him question what her life had been like during her relationship with Neal.

He shook the thought out of his head. It wasn't his place to criticize the father of her child or the relationship they shared. He just wished he knew why she was so afraid. Did she really believe he'd walk away?

Killian opened his eyes when he felt his sleeping pad shift. Emma unzipped his sleeping bag and slipped one foot inside, her toes skimming down his leg as her hand came across his chest.

"Good morning, love," he said quietly.

"Morning," she whispered back.

Then she crawled over him sideways, covering his body with hers, tucking herself into the sleeping bag with him. He decided to take advantage, pressing his lips to hers, which parted, letting their tongues come together.

They broke apart immediately, the unfortunate taste of morning breath ruining an otherwise romantic moment.

But it didn't stop Emma. She pushed back so she was kneeling above him, her core rocking into him as she caressed him. His hands instinctively went to her thighs, which he noticed where free of clothing. She must've left her bottoms in her own sleeping bag.

"Love, I thought - " he began, but she cut him off by putting a finger to his lips.

"No kissing," she said softly.

Then she lifted his nightshirt off. She pressed wet, possessive kisses into his neck, slowly making her way down. He groaned as she nipped at his collarbones.

"What about last night?" he asked tentatively.

"You said I didn't have to decide right away," she replied.

Without breaking eye contact, her lips wrapped around one of his nipples, and he gasped at the sudden friction. She likewise attended the other, all the while wearing a look of pure innocent on her face.

"You will be the death of me," he muttered.

She continued trailing her lips and tongue over his skin, her hands coming up to stroke his face, the back of his neck, his hair. 

One of his hands drifted up her shirt to her breasts while the other trailed up her inner thighs to her center. She groaned as his fingers gently rubbed her slick folds, and she was dripping already. She must've woken up wanting him.

The very thought made his cock twitch in anticipation. He pushed her hands away and shimmied his own pants down enough to free his erection. He wanted to flip them, but she rose above him and straddled him, swiftly removing her nightshirt before she pinned his shoulders down.

He slipped his fingers inside her, and she groaned as his hand worked her over. She relinquished her grasp momentarily, casting him a glance that made it clear that she had every intention of riding him, and she batted his hand away.

He saw a distinct quiver of disappointment in her lips as his fingers fell away. But then he felt her grip on his member as she lined him up with her, and he gave himself over to her, his hands running over the perfect curves of her body until they settled on her hips. 

Emma dipped down just enough to take the tip of his cock inside her. Then she shifted, putting her weight into her hands to hold him in place as she lowered herself over him. His eyes slammed shut as his entire body jerked forward, eager to be buried inside her. His hands clamped down on her hips as he bucked up to meet her.

She felt bloody _incredible_. 

Her moan forced him to open his eyes. He saw her glorious nude form, her head thrown back as she arched her back. Keeping one hand on her hip, he rubbed the other along the small of her back up to her breasts, where he thumbed her hardened nipples.

Her eyes snapped open, and she began to roll her hips. The friction was inviting, and he wanted more. He thrust up gently, and she followed his lead, lifting herself up only to slide back down, slowly increasing her pace. It was heavenly, the perfect way to wake. 

Emma's breathy sighs of pleasure escalated to moans, and she never looked more beautiful, her hair tousled and her perfect breasts bouncing with each thrust. The familiar tingle in his stomach and spine began in earnest, but it was happening too fast. They'd barely gotten started.

So he trailed his fingers down her stomach, making small circles as he descended to her clit. He used his thumb to excite the little bundle of nerves, and her pace faltered as her thrusts became quicker and more shallow. 

Killian could feel how close she was, so he pressed his advantage, planting his feet and thrusting up harder in tandem with the circling of his thumb. It only took a few sure strokes before she tumbled over the edge with a throaty moan, and her walls clenched around him, inviting him to follow her into ecstasy.

He bit his tongue, nearly drawing blood, the pain just enough to prevent him from coming even as Emma clenched around him. He watched her face as she got lost in her orgasm, and as she started coming back to reality, he grabbed hold of her and flipped them, pressing her back into the sleeping bag beneath them while still buried inside of her.

He wanted to feel every square inch of her skin against his, so he spread her legs farther apart with his knees and covered her body. He began with a shallow circling of his hips, trying to draw it out as long as possible, kissing her neck, dragging his teeth and his tongue over her sensitive skin as he continued to build shallow, slow thrusts that she met with vigor. 

Her nails dug into his shoulder blades as she approached her second orgasm, and her moans pushed him to move harder, faster, deeper. His head was swimming with her scent as her sweet core tightened around him, clenching and releasing in tandem with his snapping hips, setting every nerve in his body on fire.

Killian suddenly needed to hear her cry out his name. His hands went to her ass, lifting her slightly to change the angle their journey as he began to pound into her. Her back bowed, and he found himself seized by his own orgasm, calling her name as his hips continued to buck as he emptied himself into her. Her nails broke skin as her scream joined his, her second climax hitting her hard and fast.

He rolled off her, shocked out of his sleepy post-coital bliss by the cold air meeting his sweaty skin. The sleeping bag wasn't made for two people.

"Can we still do this if we're on a break?" she asked.

He laughed as he muttered, "Bloody siren."

* * *

They ate and broke camp, leaving over an hour later than they planned. Emma blamed the equipment from this realm - it was made from strange materials - though she supposed their morning tryst didn't help matters.

She lead, following the easiest hiking path northwest, guided by the Magic Compass. She understood why her parents hunted in this area; it had both clear pathways and thick, wooded areas with no human traffic. She'd already seen an abundance of squirrels and other small rodents, and had they taken more care with their footfall, she'd probably spot a few deer.

They stopped when they came to a beautifully clear spring in the afternoon. Killian went to refill the water supply, leaving his pack with her. 

She took the Magic Mirror and asked Sidney to speak with Senior. It took a few minutes, but soon the old man's face reflected back at her.

"Miss Swan," Senior said. "Any news?"

"I had a dream last night," she said. "My parents were there with someone else. I think it was Regina. There was a sign with 'A Storybook Hometown' on it."

"I've seen that sign as well!" Senior replied. "My Regina was standing in front of it, talking about how there were secluded cabins that weren't on the map."

"You think they settled there?" she asked. 

"I don't know. I've seen Regina standing at a harbor many times in my dreams," he replied. "But you're heading inland, aren't you?"

"Yeah, but who knows? Maybe they're on a hunting trip or something," Emma replied. "Have you seen anything lately?"

"Nothing new," he replied. "Except, I saw her signing something. I believe the name she uses in this realm is Regina Mills."

"Well, that's something," she replied. "How's the Jolly?"

"Dreadfully boring," he said. "Don't tell the Captain I said that."

"Don't worry," she said. "I'll contact you again this time tomorrow."

She stowed the mirror and looked around for Killian, but he hadn't returned with the water yet. Rustling caught her attention, and she became wary of her surroundings. She hadn't been paying attention during her mirror chat, and she now felt very anxious about her position.

Emma grabbed Killian's pack and carried it toward the spring, finding a better vantage point. She stopped near the bank in the shadow of a large willow tree.

"Worried about me, Swan?" he asked as he returned.

"What's in your pack?" she asked, deflecting. "It's a lot heavier than mine."

"Ah, well, I brought something of a surprise," he replied.

"Surprise?" she asked. "What kind of surprise?"

"How about this," he said. "We find somewhere to set down for lunch, and I'll tell you all about it."

They found a small clearing and shared a meal of dried meat, bread, and cheese before Killian pulled his pack over and produced a large, leather-bound book. It reminded her of the old storybooks her parents kept in the library with neither title nor author on its cover.

"You brought a book of fairy tales with us?" she asked. "That is _surprising_."

"A book of tales, indeed, but not filled with fairy stories," he said. "You told me your boy loved stories, so I found a book in which we could transcribe our adventures. I've taken the liberty to start in pencil."

He handed the book to her, and she was touched that he cared enough not only to find a book but also lug it around until they found her family.

She flipped through the pages until she found the table of contents, where Killian had listed a number of stories already:

> The Great Sea Serpent  
> The Coward Blackbeard and the Crocodile  
> The Talking Candlestick  
> The Pied Piper's New Tune  
> Maritime Knights Honorary and True  
> The Man in the Pocketwatch  
> The Great Beanstalk  
> The Revenge of the Evil Sorceress  
> The Snow Queen and the Tree of Wisdom  
> The Jolly Roger and the Edge of the World  
> Wolf, Thief, King, Mirror, and Shadow  
> Hart of Longing

She smiled as she remembered their time together in the Enchanted Forest, and she wondered how her son would feel when she told him those stories.

"Do you have a quill?" she asked.

"Aye, though in this realm it's called a pen," he replied. "The inkwell is apart of it."

He handed her a pen, and she flipped to the front page of the book, and in her best handwriting she wrote the only title that made sense:

  
_Once Upon a Time..._

#### The Adventures of the Pirate and the Savior

"What do you think?" she asked.

"I think I'd prefer The Adventures of the Savior and the Dashing Pirate Captain," he said with a grin.

* * *

They made good time after lunch, hiking until it began to get dark. Killian noticed a slight upturn in Emma's lips that lasted all day, and he hoped it would continue.

They spent the next two days hiking northwest, making steady progress each day. He wondered if it might've been better to invest in proper land transport, as the Magic Compass only pointed them in the right direction. It gave them nothing in the way of distance.

The fourth morning, Emma shook him awake.

"Killian!" she said loudly. "I saw it! I finally saw it!"

"Come again, love?" he asked sleepily. 

"The name of the town!" she said. "I keep having this dream of my parents and Henry standing in front of a big sign for a town. I kept seeing the slogan, but I just saw the name!"

"The name?" he repeated. "The name on a sign your parents stood in front of?"

"I think it's the town they're living in now," she said. "It's called Haven, Maine."


	3. Capsize

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma receives a vital clue about her family's location, but she and Killian disagree over how the best way to continue the search.

Emma felt happier than she had in months. They were close to finding them now, she could feel it. They continued northwest after breakfast, following the compass while waiting for Senior's reply. It wasn't until lunchtime that he contacted them again.

"Haven is along the coast," Senior said. "I'll navigate the Jolly to general area and scout with the spyglass. In the meantime, you should return to shore."

"Scouting is an exemplary idea, but the lifeboat we hid ashore is a four-day hike behind us," Killian said.

"What if we hiked straight to the shore? The closest shore, I mean," Emma suggested. "We might have to steal a boat to get to the Jolly, but from there, we'd just have to swing south a bit to get the lifeboat before we head to Haven. It'd be a lot faster than going on foot."

"The compass still points northwest," Killian pointed out. "What if your parents have since left Haven and have taken up residence inland? We'd waste over a week in travel."

"Senior, scout Haven and let us know what you find. We'll send you a message when we've made it to the shore," Emma said before she tucked the mirror away.

"So that's it, then?" Killian asked. "We're not even discussing it?"

Emma felt all the happiness evaporated from her. 

"What's there to discuss?" she asked.

"The Magic Compass still points us away from shore." 

"Which means they can be anywhere on this planet northwest of our current location," she said calmly. "Maybe if we started at Haven, we could pick up a trail, get a better bearing. Right now we're wandering in the forest."

"The dreams from the Hart of Longing haven't given any indication that the compass is wrong," Killian said.

"The Hart's power comes from blood, Killian!" Emma replied, losing her temper. "The Magic Compass was powerful in the Enchanted Forest, but this is a Land without Magic. Blood will always beat magic here."

"That compass works, Swan. It certainly was when I used it," he said, frustration apparent in his voice. "You made no complaint about following it yesterday."

"Yesterday, it was all I had!" she shot back. "You think this has been easy? Hiking with this stupid thing in my hand, wondering if it's even working?! I've worried about it every day, but there wasn't anything else, Killian! Why are you so intent on roaming empty woods when we've a place to start now? If we can't find my parents in this town, maybe someone will recognize them. It makes more sense to go there than to keep going indefinitely in one direction."

"Love," he said in a low and soothing voice. "Look - "

She interrupted him with a noise of sheer frustration. This entire conversation was ridiculous. Why was he being so damn stubborn over such an obvious decision? And why was he trying to pacify her now? How was pointing at the stupid compass going to calm her down?

Her thoughts came to an abrupt halt as she saw the needle. It was moving, wavering between east and north, as if it couldn't choose.

A nearby snapping of twigs caught her attention. Killian put a finger to his lips, and she nodded her head, yes. He moved out of sight with haste and stealth befitting of a decades-old pirate captain. She waited on the edge of the path, still as any prey that sensed a predator. Minutes passed with no sign of Killian or anyone else.

But then she heard footfall from the east, so she crouched behind a tree. 

A man not much older than her appeared. He had auburn-brown hair, blue eyes, and fair skin, but the thing she noticed most was the distracted look on his face, as if he was lost in his thoughts. He walked slowly, for he was laden with supplies, carrying a large backpack, two satchels, and even a smaller pack across his chest.

He passed her without so much as a glance, which given his lack of attention, wasn't surprising. She glanced down at the compass and saw the needle follow the stranger as he continued his leisurely pace away from her.

Though she could no longer see him, she considered his face again. He couldn't be Henry, for, apart from being too hold, his eyes were the wrong color. But neither was he her father. So why was the compass pointing to him?

Emma heard someone shout, and she after it to find Killian blocking the mystery man's path.

"You scared the wits out of me," the man said. "Sorry, I didn't see you until you were right in front of me..." 

His voice lost confidence as he spoke, and he became very tense when he realized Killian had no intension of letting him pass.

The man's voice became less assured as Killian continued to block his path.

"In a rush?" Killian asked casually. "Surely you have a moment to spare?"

"I, uh, well, see I don't... uh... I don't make a habit of befriending strange men in the woods," the stranger replied.

"What about strange women?" Emma asked.

The man startled, grabbing his chest dramatically as he spun around to face her. 

"Are you two trying to give me a heart attack?" he asked. "Listen, these woods are more than big enough for the three of us. Let's just go our separate ways."

"The compass is pointing to him," Emma said to Killian.

"Compasses can be faulty," the man said. "Perhaps you simply require a replacement?"

"Sorry, mate," Killian replied. "The compass she speaks of is magical. It points to the thing you want to find. Except, you're not what we want to find."

" _Magic_ compass?" the man repeated. "Well, in that case..."

The man elbowed Killian hard in the chest. In the next instant, the pirate was coming right at her, fast, and the stranger fled.

* * *

Killian collided with Emma, and they crashed to the ground in a heap, packs and limbs tangled uncomfortably with the roots and undergrowth. It took him a few moments to realize his predicament and remedy it. She got back on her feet first and offered him a hand up.

"Bloody hell, he was fast," he said as he got to his feet. "I thought he was going to sucker punch me. Wasn't expecting a bloody elbow in my chest."

"The compass is still pointing to him I think," she said, holding it out. "What the hell?"

"I think it's fairly obvious, love," he replied. "Whoever he is, he can lead us to your family."

"Or maybe the compass is broken and just pointing to some random guy in the woods."

"Were you _looking_ for a random man?" he asked, annoyed her abrupt return to obstinacy. "Because that compass points you where you need to go."

"In the Enchanted Forest," she said. "But here? For all we know, it thinks that guy is Henry or my dad."

"That man ran off when the words 'magic compass' were uttered."

"That man ran off when he realized two people had snuck up on him in the woods," she said. "The compass has been pointing northwest all this time. But that guy, Killian, he came from the east, from _behind_ us, heading west. But the compass didn't point to him until he was nearby."

"Perhaps the compass was leading us to his dwelling," Killian suggested. "We simply found him earlier than expected."

"Or," Emma said, annoyed, "it was just a false reading."

"How could a Magic Compass have a false reading?" he asked.

"The same way a regular compass would," she replied. "Except instead of metal interfering, it's magic."

Realizing he wasn't gaining any ground, he changed tactics. He said, "Swan, we've come this far. Taking another two hours to question this man won't slow us down. It will take four days to reach the shore either way."

"Question him about what?" she asked. "Should I say, 'My magic compass is pointing to you. I think it's because you know where my parents are in this realm.'"

"So you're solution is to turn around and walk back the way we came, with nothing to show for our journey?" he asked.

"My solution is to not waste anymore time," she replied harshly. "Do you really think that man knows anything about my family?"

"Perhaps, if for no other reason than he remains the sole person we've seen out here in four days time."

He saw it. Something inside her broke like a leaking dam finally giving way to the force it failed to contain.

"You want to run after that guy and question him?" Emma asked, her voice calm.

She chucked the compass at him so hard he had to catch it against his chest. 

"Fine!" she shouted. "Take the damn thing and find him yourself!"

"Swan, we can't part ways," he protested. "We split the camping equipment between us."

"You have got to be fucking kidding me!"

"You do realize that you're yelling at me?"

"Who the hell else would I be yelling at, Killian?!"

"How about anybody else!" he shouted back. "All I am trying to do is help you find your family!"

"Don't give me that!" she barked. "The only reason you wanna follow that guy is because I told Senior we'd head to shore without asking you first."

"I want to follow him because the bloody Magic Compass is pointing at him!" he replied. "Has it not occurred to you, Swan, that perhaps your own stubbornness is to blame?"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that you fall back on bad habits, deciding things without consulting your partner, and rather than admit to the tiny foible, you dig your heels in," he said, maintaining the edge to his words despite lowering his voice.

* * *

Emma wanted to knee him in the balls, so she steadied herself with a deep breath and a few moments of silence.

"You really believe that, don't you?" she asked, her voice level. "You think I'm so uptight and stubborn that I wouldn't admit to a mistake when finding my family is at stake?"

"No, I don't see you as uptight in any way, Swan. Neither do I think you'd be stubborn at such an expense to your family," he said thoroughly cowed. But then he added, "But when we first arrived in this realm, you hesitated. You were afraid, worried about finding them."

"I should've known you'd throw that back in my face sooner or later." 

He began, "Swan, I assure you, that's not - "

She interrupted, "I thought you understood! You told me you understood!"

"Emma, please!" he yelled. "I am _not_ blaming you or insulting you, love. I brought it up because it sees that those feelings have lingered, that they are still affecting you."

"Oh, right, I forgot that every time we disagree, it's always because of my _feelings_ ," she said harshly. "Or, maybe, when you have to decide between a magic compass in a Land without Magic and an actual location on the map, the choice is obvious! Why are we still talking about this?"

"Perhaps because we haven't actually discussed it," he replied. "I attempted to speak with you about it, and you dismissed me and screamed at me for it. And I have no idea why."

"Because you've taken a simple decision and turned it into fifty things wrong with me," she replied, exasperated. "We shouldn't have to debate my feelings or my thoughts for every tiny decision."

"Pardon me, your Highness, I didn't realize it was such a bloody chore!" he snapped. "I spoke under the foolish notion that we were together and, as such, the sharing of thoughts and feelings was an expected and gratifying element of our rapport rather than an unwanted nuisance!"

"You don't even realize you're doing it!" Emma snapped, ignoring most of what he said. "You're talking to me like I'm some stuck-up royal, as if you think I'm too good to talk to you!"

"I never said - "

"But it is what you meant!" she shouted. "You know more about me than anyone, Killian, yet you treat me like I'm some entitled princess, pampered, selfish, and entirely self-absorbed!" 

She was too angry to hear anymore of what he had to say. He kept pushing her to open up to him, yet the more she shared, the less he understood her. Part of her wanted to admit he might've been right about her initial stubbornness, but they were too deep in it now for her to concede such a point, lest he take it as an admission on all counts. 

"Emma, that's not - "

"We can't keep doing this," she said, cutting him off as she spat out the first words that came to mind. "You were right, Killian. The only place two people like us belong together is in a storybook."

"Emma, that's - "

"Leave your pack," she interrupted. "I'm going to make camp at the first clearing back the way we came. Go ahead and question whoever-the-hell that guy is. If you're not at camp when I wake up, I'll be hiking to the shore with whatever I can carry."

"So, that's it, then?" he asked his anger redoubling. "We argue, and you unilaterally decide the course of events. Again. You send me on my way with an invitation to return with my tail between my legs because God forbid anyone disagree with you and care enough to dispute the matter!"

"Fine!" she said as she came to her wit's end. "I need time to clear my head. What do you recommend?"

Killian didn't miss her distain and sarcasm, and from the look on his face, he wasn't about to overlook either.

"Swan, I - "

BANG!

They both hit the ground, rolling toward one another before taking cover by a convergence of trees. They had been so busy arguing that they hadn't noticed two armed strangers approaching. 

"Can you see them, Swan?" Killian whispered.

"Two of them, right there, but I can't see much," she replied. "Both men. One with one of those handgun things."

"I'll take one, you the other?" he offered.

"I'll take the one on the left," she replied.

He drew his cutlass and she, her short sword. They parted ways, keeping low as they circled their assailants. But the two strangers were trained and prepared for such a tactic. 

Emma picked up a small rock and chucked it at him, striking him in the neck. He grabbed at the injury, more surprised than wounded, giving her the opening to attack. She came in low, slashing at his leg before disarming him with a strike to the arm. She heard the grunts of the other assailant as Killian joined the fray.

"Who the hell are you?" Emma asked as she dropped her opponent to his knees. She put her sword to his neck for good measure. "Why did you shoot at us?"

"I'm Michael," he replied. "And my associate and I are here to bring you in."

"Sorry, mate, not today," Killian said as he shoved the other man to the ground, his cutlass pointed to his chest. "Care to tell us what the bloody hell you want from us?"

"Me? I want nothing from you," the other man said. "I'm just a middleman."

"What's your name?" Killian asked.

"Greg Mandell," he replied. "I suggest you put the swords down. You don't want to get hurt, now do you?"

"Perhaps you need to reassess the situation," Killian replied.

Emma felt a chill, a flash of cold that went straight to her bones. Something was very wrong.

"We should go," Emma said warily to Killian. "Now."

BANG!

The shot had come out of nowhere. The sound startled Emma, making her arm jerk awkwardly, delivering a slicing blow to her opponent's chest and arm, and he screamed.

She took cover without thinking. It wasn't until Greg dragged Michael to safety that she realized Killian was on the ground. From Greg's lack of injury, Killian had released him. She dreaded the possibilities, and she scrambled over to him, panicked. 

BANG! BANG!

Emma ducked down by her pirate, ready to fight back, but Greg and Michael retreated. They must have a third partner covering them. She got her feet under her, ready to drag Killian to safety.

Blood billowed over his abdomen, spilling down his front. Without a shaft to show the trajectory of the injury, she could only guess at how bad it was. She shoved her hand under his lower back, running her fingers over the leather. There were no tears or holes, which meant the projectile didn't pass through him. It was still inside him.

"Don't worry," she said. "I'll get you out of here."

"Emma, take it," he said, pressing the Magic Compass into her hands. "Go!"

"I am not abandoning you," she said as she grabbed him. "Hang on."

He gasped, "Emma, behind - "

Suddenly a blooming pain radiated from the back of her head, and the world went dark.

* * *

"Emma!" he shouted.

But he was too late. Greg had already smashed his weapon into the back of her head. She fell forward onto him, putting pressure on his wound. The pain was terrible, but it gave him a surge of strength. 

Killian gripped his cutlass. When Greg tried to move Emma off of him, he thrust it up at the bastard's head.

He missed.

Greg retaliated with fury, though it took little more than a sharp kick to disarm him. 

"Bad luck, fella," Greg said. "Too bad your lady friend injured my partner. But as it is, we only got enough room for two wounded parties. You know how that is, right?"

"We need them both!" a woman shouted.

"You hit him in the stomach, Dot!" Greg yelled. 

Killian felt a flash of pure rage as he saw Dorothy Gale join Greg, her face expressionless and cold. 

"We lug his ass back with us and wind up with a dead guy long before we reach a hospital," Greg continued. "Trust me, it's better like this. No one will find him out here. The boss'll just have to understand. She can't expect us to capture all the unfriendlies."

Greg lifted Emma's unconscious body over his shoulder, and he was none too careful with her.

"Leave... her... alone!" Killian yelled. 

"Come on, Dot! Mikey needs a doctor," Greg said, ignoring him.

"I'll be right there," she replied.

Dot produced a number of small cloths from her bag. She approached him, gently putting her weapon down before kneeling over him. She pocketed the Magic Compass. Then she undid his belt and pulled up on his shirt and vest to inspect his wound.

He let her. She must have assumed he was incapacitated because she was entirely focused on his injury. He, on the other hand, put all his energy into inching his hand to the weapon she left unguarded.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I was aiming for your arm."

She took the towels and covered the wound, and he screamed as she pressed down with force. She wrapped the belt over the wound, making it unbearably tight so it would hold the meager bandages in place.

The pain gave him another fleeting burst of strength, and Killian reached the gun, his fingers gripping it despite his blood and sweat. He brought it across, meaning to strike her with it. But his grip failed him, and the gun went off abruptly, the recoil forcing it out of his hand as even more blood splattered everywhere.

This time, Dot screamed. She felt back and away from him.

She rebounded in a flash, snatching up her weapon as she cradled her bloody shoulder.

"You're a damn fool," Dot snarled.

Then she kicked him in the head, and he was finally dragged into the dregs of unconsciousness.

 

"You gotta do something!" someone shouted.

"I may do more harm than good," a different voice said. "The equipment I have here is rudimentary. I haven't had a living patient in years."

Killian heard everything, but he didn't understand any of it. He now had a headache to match the pain in his stomach, and while it was agony, the very fact of his anguish proved that he lived.

"Swan?" he asked, his voice weak and raspy.

"He's awake!" the first voice spoke again.

"Don't get too close, dear," a woman said. 

His heart skipped a beat. His Swan had bested the three mangy curs and come to his rescue. He fought the pain and the weakness until he forced his eyes open so he could see his Swan again.

She wasn't here.

"Emma?" he rasped. "Swan... I..."

"Don't try to talk," a man said.

"Didn't I tell you!" the first voice shouted. "He knows my mom!"

Killian searched the immediate area. He was inside some kind of cabin. The man that the Magic Compass led them to was standing over him. Next to him was a woman with crow-black hair and a royal disposition. He'd met the Evil Queen decades earlier when she was trapped in Neverland, and while this woman only bore a passing resemblance to her, there was no doubt in his mind that he was looking at Regina. 

His head was swimming. Where was he? More importantly, where was Emma Swan? He tried to move so he could see the rest of the room, but restraints held him in place.

"He knows my mom!" the first voice spoke again.

The stranger from the woods came closer and said, "Listen, buddy, whoever you are, you've been shot. My name is Doctor Whale. I'm going to operate to try to remove the bullet and stop the bleeding. I have the drugs to put you under, but we only have a manual respirator, so..."

But Killian wasn't really listening to Doctor Whale, for his eyes had fallen on the third person in the room who had moved to stand by Regina. He was no older than thirteen, and though they'd never met before, he recognize him in a heartbeat. 

"Henry?" Killian asked, a pained smile touching his lips. "Your... your mother..."

It was all he could manage before he fell into darkness again.

**Author's Note:**

> Fear not! For Her Dark Works continues with Episode #16 "[Privateer](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6043948/chapters/13857838)!"


End file.
